This blog began as a way to follow us as we drove across the United States from Charleston, SC to Bellingham, WA and continued as we explored our new home in in the Pacific Northwest. Now it follows us as we move to Europe to Eindhoven, Netherlands with dog and baby in tow!

Sunday, April 27, 2014

House Hunting International: Liang Edition

After requests from a few friends, we have decided to post 3 properties we viewed in the Netherlands and let you guys vote on which one we may have picked, much as you would while watching House Hunters International on HGTV.

First a little history brief and introduction to Eindhoven, Nederland. Eindhoven is located in the North Brabant province in the south of the Netherlands. The city population is 220,000 people. It is the 5th largest city in the Netherlands. It is located 56 feet above sealevel.Eindhoven started in 1232 as the small town of Endehoven on the confluence of the Dommel and Gender streams. It remained a minor city until after the start of the industrial revolution. It boomed with the rise of lighting and electronics giant Philips, which was founded as a light bulb manufacturing company in Eindhoven in 1891. The technical industry advanced with car and truck manufacturing company, Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek (DAF) and shifts in electronics and engineering. Eindhoven saw signifant bombing during WWII.In 2011, Eindhoven was named world's most intelligent community by Intelligent Community Forum. Today Eindhoven is now a capital of Dutch industrial design with the Design Academy Eindhoven. Dutch Design Week takes place every October. Eindhoven University of Technology is an incubator of technology startups. With 4 universities, Eindhoven has a large student population. It has a numerous bar scene and nightlife. Of the 5 major cities, Eindhoven has the highest percentage of green area with a few major parks. Eindhoven is known as the City of Light due to Philips and the Glow Festival in November.30% of the population is of foreign descent. There are many other expats. The national language is Dutch, but most know English.

A few notes about the differences between housing in the Netherlands vs the US.The first floor you enter on is called the ground floor. The second floor is the first floor. The third floor is the second floor. Often there is a ladder to access storage space in the pitched attic space.Stairs. Stairs are steep and wind up tight spaces. Going down with a pregnant belly or stuff in your hands takes some getting used to.Kitchens. They are smaller. Dutch refrigerators are half if not smaller than ours. There aren't pantries. There is usually less cupboard space. Microwaves don't come standard.Bathrooms. Most homes only have one full bath. The ground floor has a small closet for the toilet and hand sink. The upper floor has a shower tub combo typically with a second toilet and sink.Bedroom closets. They don't exist. Most people buy wardrobes. Some houses have built some in that they leave behind, but they never equate to our walk-in variety in the US.Washers and dryers don't typically come with the house. We will need to buy some secondhand. Their dryers aren't as efficient here either. It takes an hour and a half to dry a load of clothes. Most laundry connections are located on the top floor.Most homes have storage sheds to keep bikes. If there is a garage for the house, most still use it for storage and not for parking cars.

Our Needs:2 bedroomsDogs allowedGarden patio or yardParking

Our Wants:Close to City Center3 bedroomsTerraced house or townhouseGood sized kitchenModern lookStorage for bikes & strollerNo carpetBathtub3 year lease

House #1:Modern Apartment(Biesterweg)

Type: 3-room apartment

Location: Centre / Eindhoven

RESIDENCE FUTURA: located on the corner Leenderweg /
Biesterweg in the center of Eindhoven .

Small "High Tech" newly built project consisting of 9 rental
apartments equipped with an exceptionally high standard. All apartments are
soft furnished and have a private, secure, covered parking on the 1st floor.
The apartments are located just steps away from shopping facilities, public
transport, and a short distance from the city center, city park and the central
station.View from balcony on Biesterweg:

Views from Courtyard & storage units below:

Ground floor:

Elevator installation and car lift to 1st floor with the covered parking
spaces.
2nd and 3rd floor:Entrance hall with access to all rooms.
Separate toilet.
Storage room with washing machine and dryer. Heating system and mechanic
ventilation.
Luxury bathroom with shower, 2nd toilet, sink and radiator.
Large bright living room with kitchen in a corner. Through a door access to the
loggia or roof terrace. Luxury kitchen with granite countertops, dishwasher,
oven / microwave, fridge , hob and hood.

Two bedrooms also provided with luxurious soft furnishing!3rd floor balcony:

Entrance hall with wardrobe, cupboard, parquet flooring,
tiled toilet and staircase. Spacious living room with fireplace with marble
fireplace, lots of light, durable flooring (2007) and extension at the rear
with sliding doors.

The kitchen has a modern kitchen (2004) with tiled floor,
attractive five burner gas hob, extractor, fridge, microwave, dishwasher and
granite counter and through a cozy breakfast bar separated from the living.

The
beautiful windows offer beautiful view of the garden and very bright. From the
kitchen is the practical utility room with tiled floor, sink unit, central
heating combi boiler (2009) and washing machine.

The extra deep garage (10
meters) from the pantry is accessible and has electricity and sink.

A magnificent 4 bedroom house situated the heart of
vondelkwartier, benefiting from total refurbishment to a high standard, en
suite facilities, open-plan design, lovely styling throughout, modern fittings
and fixtures and substantial living space with a nice garden. The property
comprises 2 reception rooms, dining room, kitchen, conservatory, 4 bedrooms one
further bathrooms, storage vault and the garden.

Prinsenhof is a
highly desirable address, with playing field across the street, quiet environment
but walking distance to city centre and very near international school. Approximately 2 km.

approx 490 m3

Area: approx 155
m2

GROUND FLOOR

Entrance hall with
access to the living area.

U-shaped living
area that is divided into three parts, namely, living room / kitchen and dining
room:

Located on the
front living room with sliding doors to the terrace.

At the rear dining
area with large closet and door to the patio garden. The entire backside is
through a beautiful accordion door.

Pros:Original features like hardwood floors in living space & stain glass windowsPatio extends indoor outdoor connectionClosest to City Center

Cons:Parking-free for all, a search for free spots daily near city center2nd bedroom on 1st floor is small and can only function as a baby roomNo grass or planted area for the dog in the patioSo which will it be?House #1 Modern Apartment (Biesterweg)House #2 Large Garden House (Keucheniushof)House #3 Pre-War Character House (Prinsenhof)